Stone loading mechanism



Filed March 31, .1949

All@ 24, l954 w. H. 'BERGMAN 2,687,261

STONE LOADING MECHANISM Sheets-Sheet l ,Hummm L N f h" Mmmm!! [ImmIlllmmmml]|hh v Illlllllllllllllll All..

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ATTORNEY Aug. 24, 1954 w. H. BERGMAN 2,687,201

STONE LOADING MECHANISM Filed March 3l, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 b vs Mb o u INVENTOR. N "ll/m f y MF d @di a ATTORNEY All@ 24, 1954 w. H. BERGMAN STONE LOADING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 5l 1949 www@ mw. Q

wm N I f INVENTOR. 6?/2' ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 24, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STONE LOADING MECHANISM William H. Bergman, Pigeon, Mich. Application March 31, 1949, Serial No. 84,670

This invention relates to a stone loading mechanism and more particularly to a mechanism for loading stones previously gathered into windrows and then elevating said stones into a loader for discharge into a suitable trailer body for transportation to any desired location.

One of the prime objects of the invention is to provide a simple, practical, and relatively iiiexpensive elevating means associated with a windrowing mechanism, so thatthe stones are loaded without manual labor or eiiort and in a minimum length of time.

Another object is to provide a quickly adjustable elevating and loading mechanism which can be readily set for operation, and which is readily adjustable to raise the elevating means so that the loader can be moved over the highways and from one location to another.

A further object still is to provide a readily adjustable mechanism by means of which stones and hard objects of any nature can be gathered and loaded, eliminating the expensive breakage of farm machinery, and the consequent delay and loss of time incident thereto.

Still a further object is to design a stone loadk ing mechanism of simple, practical and substantial design which can be easily drawn along a windrow and which emciently and cleanly loads the windrowed stones.

` A further object still is to design a loader made up of a minimum number of parts, all of rugged, practical design and that can be economically manufactured and assembled.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying draw-` ings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportion, and minor details of construction, without departing from the spirit, or sacriiicing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side-elevational View of my improved stone loader machine with the elevator lowered and showing a trailer body associated with the elevator and into which the stones are discharged.

Fig. 2 is a top, plan view of the loaderwith the trailer body omitted.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, sectional, isometric view showing one of the tined elevator buckets.

Fig. 4 is an end-elevational view of the bucket showing also the elevating chains.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, side-elevational view taken on theline 5 5 of Fig. 2, the broken lines showing the elevator casing in raised position.

Fig. 6 is a transverse, sectional view through one of the axle shafts showing the gear engaging `clutch member.

3 Claims. (Cl. 198-1/2) Fig. 7 is a part-sectional, edge-elevational view thereof.

Referring now` to the drawings in which I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, the letter F indicates a mobile structural frame including side lnembers lil and II, the rear ends of which are supported on castered wheels I2 so that they are free to swivel when the loader is turned, or when one Wheel strikes an obstacle of any nature.

A sub-frame I3 supports the front end of the main frame F' and in a manner to be presently described, it is provided with axles ifi of conventional type, and wheels I5 are revolvably mounted thereon, the rear end of said sub frame being rigidly connected to a shaft I6 which is journaled on the main frame, and depending legs Il are provided on said shaft, springs I B being connected to the free end of said legs and to the cross brace I9 provided on the main frame.

Cross members 2B and 2I span the frame members It)1 and il, and a trailer body securing mechanism R is mounted on the cross member I9 so that the trailer body TA may be releasably secured thereto. The elevator frame E has angles 22 secured to the side walls Z3 thereof and is secured to the members if) and I I by means of bolts 24.

vertically spaced plates 25 and 26 span the side plates 23, and a discharge chute 2l is provided at the upper end of the elevator as usual for discharging the `material elevated into the trailer body T.

Toothed quadrant members 28 are secured to the frame members Ill and I I by means: of bolts 29, and levers .'fsil are pivotally mounted on each of the frame members at the point 3l, each lever having a spring-pressed tooth 32 engageable with the toothed section :i3 of the quadrant to hold it in its adjusted position.

An offset leg 34 is formed integral with the lower end of each lever 3B, and a link 35 serves to pivotally connect the outer end of each leg 3L! with the one end of the sub frame members I3 so that as the levers 3i) are swung to the left as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 5, the front end of the main frame and the elevator frame will be vertically adjusted as a unit, and as illustrated in broken lines in 5 of the drawings. To lower the main frame and elevator frame, it is merely necessary to swing the lever in the opposite direction to that shown `in broken lines in Fig. 5.

Spaced-apart pairs of horizontally spaced `shaits 3S and 3! and 38 and 39 are mounted on the upper and lower ends of the elevator housing, and sprockets i0 and. s-I and 42 and i3 respectively, are mounted on these shafts, chains 44 being trained over said sprockets, and elevator buckets N span the housing and are secured to said chains, each bucket being formed as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, each bucket comprising a back plate 45 which folds overl the bottom as at 46, and a bar 4l spans the bucket.

A plurality of spaced-apart tined members 48 are welded to the bar 4l and are turned as at 49 to form a forked end, the ends of the bucket being covered with a plate 50 as usual, so that the open forked end of the bucket readily scoops up the stones as the machine operates, the sprockets l2 and 43 being so spaced that the buckets travel horizontally a predetermined distance along the ground to insure proper loading.

Straps 5I are secured to the links of the chain 44 in spaced relation, and a horizontally disposed leg 52 is interposed between one pair of said straps, the upper end being welded to the member 53 which is in turn connected to the bar 41. A similar bar 5A is pivotally connected to the otherstraps 5I by a pin 55, the upper end being connected to the bar 53 in a like manner by means of a pin 56, thus providing the necessary exibility for the bucket structure with relation to the chain, so that the bucket readily travels around corners etc. Without cramping or binding. The buckets N carry the stones upwardly in the elevator, discharging them into the chute 21, and thence into the trailer body T.

The elevating mechanism is driven from the front wheels I5, a gear 58 being mounted on the axle I4, and a chain 59 leads rearwardly and is drivingly connected to a similar gear 50 mounted on the shaft 6I which is in turn carried by the main frame F.

The clutch mechanism can be of any desired design, and in the present instance I have shown a gear 58 having a ratchet 62 rmly secured thereto, a dog 63 being pivotally mounted on said gear for engagement with a ratchet wheel 64 provided on the gear 58, a spring 65 serving to secure the dog in engagement, and this dog can be readily swung `free of the ratchet wheel when desired.

A sheave 6l is also mounted on the shaft 6I, and a belt 98 drivingly connects the sheaves 67 with similar sheaves 69 mounted on thev shaft 36, so that as the front. axle is driven, the elevator will be driven accordingly.

A rearwardly projecting leg 'I0 is pivotally connected to the sub-frame I3 at the point 1I, and an idler sprocket I2 is mounted on the leg 'I0 in engagement with the chain 59, springs 'I3 being connected to the ends of said legs and to the members I and I I, this idler serving t0 keep the chain 59 taut at all times, similar idlers 'I4 being mounted in the elevator frame to prevent sagging of the chain 44.

The elevator mechanism E is adjustable with relation to the frame F so that it may be raised for travel over the highway and from eld to eld, and then lowered into position for operation on a windrow of stones, it being merely necessary to swing the levers 30, and as indicated in broken lines in Fig. of the drawings.

Gears (not shown) are mounted on the axles I4, and a chain I6 drivingly connects said gears to a windrowing mechanism (not shown), the front ends of the main frame being stepped as at 'Il for engagement with the windrowing frame, this windrowing mechanism being the subject matter of a separate application entitled Stone Windrowing Machines, led by me March 21, 1949, Serial No. 84,669.

In practice, the loader straddles a windrow of stones and is drawn along over said windrow by a tractor or the like (not shown) the open forked end of the buckets N scooping up the stones and elevating them upwardly for discharge into the chute 21, and thence into the trailer body T, and when the trailer body is loaded, it is quickly unhooked and a power vehicle (not shown) is used for transporting the stones to a designated spot or location.

From the foregoing description, it will be clearly obvious that I have perfected a very simple, practical and eiiicient stone picker which can be readily constructed and at a minimum cost.

What I claim is:

1. In a stone loading machine, the combination with a main frame having wheels at its rear end, a sub-frame associated with the front end of the main frame with its rear end hingedly connected to said main frame, wheels on the front end of the sub-frame, an elevator frame rigidly mounted on the main frame and including chain and bucket assemblies, and means on the main frame and adjustably connected to said sub-frame for adjusting the front end of the main frame and the elevator as a unit with relation to said sub-frame.

2. A stone loading machine, the combination with a main frame having a sub-frame associated therewith, wheels supporting the rear end of the main frame, wheels on the front end of the subrarne, a transversely disposed shaft hingedly connecting the rear end of the sub-frame to the mainframe, angularly extending legs rigid on said shaft, resilient means connecting the free ends of the legs with the main frame, an elevator housing rigidly connected to the main frame and including a driven chain assembly including spaced-apart buckets, and means on the main frame and connected to the front end of the subframe for vertically adjusting said elevator and main frame as a unit with relation to said subframe.

3. A stone loading machine, the combination with a main frame having a sub-frame associated therewith, wheels supporting the rear end of the main frame, wheels on the front end of the subframe with the rear end of the sub-frame hingedly connected to the main frame, an elevator housing rigidly connected to the main frame, spaced-apart, horizontally disposed sprocket assemblies mounted on the lower end of said housing, a driven chain assembly including spaced-apart buckets trained over said sprocket assemblies to carry said buckets a predetermined distance in alignment with the surface of the ground, and means on the main frame and connected to the front end of the sub-frame for vertically adjusting said elevator and main frame as a unit with relation to said sub-frame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date '779,239 Sampson Jan. 3, 1905 875,445 Meierhon' Dec. 31, 1907 1,016,740 Ellison Feb. 6, 1912 1,139,032 Helrnke May 11, 1915 1,180,148 Hedrick Apr. 18, 1916 1,253,094 Plantiko Jan. 8, 1918 1,374,489 Cherba Apr. 12, 1921 1,457,668 Null June 5, 1923 1,527,652 Kasuske Feb.k 24, 1925 1,589,091 Barber June 15, 1926 2,363,682 Madsen Nov. 28, 1944. 

